Reforms exist only in debate

A mere information cannot encourage us that the Central Government is seriously contemplating on electoral reforms and gets ready to come out with a proposal for an extensive debate over it so that a consensus would be brought among all the political parties. The Centre’s preparedness over the poll reforms is worthwhile only when it results in positive consequences. This will happen if the ruling dispensation concerns its political will power for electoral reforms. It is not possible to bring reforms in electoral process without political will because a long-drawn debate over curtailing poll expenditure, discouraging people with criminal backgrounds from contesting elections and keeping a tab on the income and expenditure of political parties has been on for ages without any concrete result. Every political party shows its commitment for poll reforms, but when it comes to involve opinion of common people they show helplessness. This is difficult to say whether Prime Minister would pay attention to Law Minister’s advice and call for an all-party meeting on electoral reforms because several debates on this issue have taken place till but in vain. All the political parties accept the urgency of the poll reforms but they are at a loss as to why the most requisite exercise has so far been out of their agenda?

As far as delay in electoral reforms is concerned, all the political parties are responsible, but the onus lies on the Congress because it has been in reign for long. Isn’t it surprising that UPA government failed to take steps on the poll reforms in its first tenure? There are ample reasons to understand the need for reforms because political corruption has become an eyesore to people indicating that electoral reforms have been so far deliberately avoided. Since the issue of corruption has come to fore, especially in the wake of Anna Hazare’s crusade to corner the Central government, the Congress is striving hard to prove that it has put all efforts to check rampant corruption. Therefore, it has made several announcements regarding bills against corruption which are being prepared. Though eight months have passed after the announcements were made for taking anti-corruption measures, the matter is still in the form of debate, proposal and preliminary stage of bill preparation. If the Centre is of the opinion that mere announcements of introducing legislations for making amendments in different sectors can satisfy people, it is not so, people very much understand that the Lokpal Bill has been pending for the past 42 years and the recommendations for administrative reforms are only confined in official files. Besides, common people are aware that the Centre has taken cognizance of the fact only after Anna’s initiative on poll reforms.